Don't Forget, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ said by this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will shortly dispossess from before you, the Canaanite a Hittite like the parasite the Gerber psyche Amorite in a Jebusite center. How many items are in the general care to go before you need not forget that what happened, why do we worry what we have been cited as how my going to do with this home I got a couple others. I don't see an answer to this is minimal myself through this process. If the person you have to remember something go before you for joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana and pastoral Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets the world. I don't know noticed maybe have maybe a life can be stressful.

How often have you said that but had a tough day and really had a difficult week. I got a lot of my plate. I can't stop thinking about that, whatever it is you do start cycling we can fill our lives with all kinds of worry about the economy are business our investments. You can worry about all the possible diseases you can get high.

I just read this week that your credit card has more germs on it than a euro in my make some of you worry thing about the different ways you could die worry about that one is in so-and-so like me, you worry about that. I don't get it. Why Christians we know that were to live a life filled with joy and peace and hope and often likely get is a life of anxiety and worry and even when we do experience the peace new situation arises, and we fall right back into anxiety again and I don't know about you but I know for me. I'm really grateful that God is so patient with me but I have to ask myself, and I'm asking you to ask yourself what are you doing what you not doing that is producing this kind of anxiety and worry in your life, rather than the peace and the joy and the hope of the abundant life three weeks ago we started a series out of the book of Joshua and said our life lessons we can learn in the book of Joshua we can certainly learn some lessons today about how we should approach our lives and invite you to open your Bible is the Joshua chapter 3 Joshua chapter 3 were now at the stage in Joshua, whether about to enter the promised land.

And you have to understand this is been a long time coming. They spent 40 years waiting to go into the promised land.

The right on the banks of the Jordan note the ready to go in and what's amazing is that a lot of the people that are in in this group of 2 million are young people, less than 40 years of age. They only know life in the wilderness for them. All they hear is God has given us his promise never going to win for them. It must be like a small child is whenever Christmas is coming you starting about November you think about it every day. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait I know right there ready to go when to the land, but before they do. God says there's something I really got to get across to either some very important if you're going to going to the promised land. You got to remember some things I don't want you to forget some things. There's things are so important whether or not you're ever going to go to the promised land. You need not to forget, you need to remember and gives us freedom here in these chapters noticed these first five verses Joshua rose early in the morning and he and all the sons of Israel set out from should team and they came to the Jordan and the lodge there before they crossed and it came about at the end of three days, that the officers went through the midst of the camp and they commanded the people, and said when you see the Ark of the covenant of the Lord with a Levitical priest turning it then you shall set out from your place and go after it. However, there shall be between you and did a distance of 2000 cubits by major you can get closer than a thousand yards of the ark yards going to go into the Jordan first, but you can get closer than a thousand yards, emphasizing the holiness of God.

He says do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you go, for you have not passed this way before and then Joshua said to the people, consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you, the most important part of those first few verses he says look before you go, the ark of the covenant has to go the argument come.

It's going to go into the Jordan. First, it's a rectangular box in it and it you find unspoiled manna, what they ate in the wilderness, you find Aaron's rod that divided you find the stone tablets of the law and on top of it. Yet the solid gold mercy seat once a year, the high priest would sprinkle blood wanted to signify the mercy of God, and on top of that mercy seat to cherubim on each side of it. What was the point of the ark of the covenant, the ark of the covenant is to emphasize the presence of God.

That's why only the high priest and only once a year. What's interesting about it is that the ark of the covenant is mentioned nine times in chapter 3, seven times in chapter 4 got to suck you got understand something here. Don't forget he said I always go before you, always. I always go before you. That's what God's point is he's reminding Israel that reminds us of that. I went to go before you. I'm to go first.

You have to remember that if you think about it when ends up happening to us is that we keep thinking how my going to get through this. How my going to cope with this.

How my going to deal with this gutsy look you can remember I'm in go before you. I always go before you, you think about. I think of the New Testament. How many times this Jesus say the same thing to everybody get going. You got what you say. Follow me. Just follow me before you see that's the idea. Psalm 23. Even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil. What we are right with me.

God says don't forget that I go before you go. He said that's an extremely important thing the Lord is in front of every successful spiritual enterprise that we have. He then says and Joshua spoke to the priesthood to take up the ark of the covenant crossover ahead of the people and so they took up the ark of the covenant, they went ahead of the people and now the Lord said to Joshua this day, I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know, just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you. You shall moreover command the priest to her caring the ark of the covenant saying and when you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan you shall stand still in the Jordan and then Joshua said to the sons of Israel come here and hear the words of the Lord and Joshua said by this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will surely dispossess from before you, the Canaanite to Hittite. They have like the parasite the Gerber site, the Amorite and the Jebusite gun remembers a minute ago before you got is I don't care how many items are in the land so don't care.

I'm in a go before you, and you need not to forget that because what happened, why do we worry what we have anxiety because we forget it.

How my going to deal with is how my going to cope with this. I don't see an answer to this. I don't know how minimal myself through this touch is that the person have to remembers and I'm going to go before you, then says in verse 12 now then take yourselves 12 men from the 12 tribes of Israel. One man from each tribe know what's interesting about this as he says, then it shall come about that.

He says when the soldier refuted the priest to carry the ark the Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off in the waters which are flowing Don from above shall stand in one heap so it came about when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priest carrying the ark of the covenant before the people and when those who carry the ark came into Jordan. The Jordan defeated the priests carrying the ark would get to the edge of the water and then this quote for the Jordan overflows all its banks, all the days of the harvest.

What yeah she normally right here. The Jordan's about 30 to 40 yards wide. That's normal and is only about 4 to 6 feet deep. They got 2 million people across it's still an effort but that's the normal weight is. This is not normal. This is harvest time is the spring the Jordan at this stage in front of Jericho. At this time is about a mile wide and it's flowing fast now if you were news recently got you conflict any time a year and you put the flood season is a mile wide and we look at the look of the length of mystery River. Just imagine 2 million people have to cross the Jordan old people, young people, babies, disease people handicapped people.

Everybody's going across.

It's a good look at into what we going to do house is going to work. That's as I told you I'm going before you notice as he picks up the story.

Then he says verse 16, that the waters which were flowing down from stone and arose up in one heap.

A great distance away at a Dom the city. He said that is beside me. Is there a fun and those which were flowing Don toward the sea of air above the sulci were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite the Jericho you render city to dig out the geography God shut the Jordan off 18 miles upstream, not just right. 18 miles upstream.

He shut off. That's an amazing thing, gutsy look, I tried to tell you this. I'm going before you that's with the ark of the covenant is I told you not to forget this. It says in the priest to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until the nation and finish crossing the Jordan a highway didn't say was muddy see it as it was difficult. He says just like dry grinders go across is just like the wilderness gotchas look you need to remember something I always go before you. You see, you have to understand that I go before you. Don't forget that. And that's exactly what we do when we start really warming up jeopardizing about something we forgot that completely was when we got to do now how my going to handle it now. Whatever is bothering you whatever it is a get your thought life going. Don't forget that there's something else that we tells us in these first six verses of chapter 4. Don't forget what I've already done for you. Will we do this all the time.

Don't forget what I've already done for you see, I think how much the Lord's done for you. How do I know you hear my not being your hair. You have a history with God. You see, Jesus don't forget what I've already done for you. He says in a came about when all the nation had crossed. He said the crossing of the Jordan that the Lord spoke to Joshua and said, take up yourselves. 12 men from the people. One man from each tribe and command them, saying, take up yourselves. 12 stones from here. Out of the middle of the Jordan, from the place where the priest feet are standing firm and carry them over with you and lay them down in the lodging place where you will lodge tonight and Joshua gets the 12 men whom he had appointed from the sons of Israel one man from each tribe and Joshua said to them cross again. He said to to the ark of the Lord your God in the middle of the Jordan. Each one of you take up a stone on the shoulder. According to the number the tribes of the sons of Israel. Let this he said be assigned to you. He said there were that when your children ask later what are these stones mean then you will say to them because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it was crossed and the waters of the Jordan were cut off. See these stones shall be a memorial to the sons of Israel forever. See my seem like a dumb thing there already cross. He says take one man from each tribe go to the middle in the middle your season big stones. It must be God put your shoulder put a stone in your shoulder walk to the shore we going to camp and make a memorial you need to remember what God's done so when your children ask why you know God's not working you shall go to work in your life, son. Look at the stones look at the memorial is when you see that you're going to see that it's a very different kind of thing. You see, God is much more concerned about something that we think when we read Joshua the book of Joshua was not about real estate. It's not about God saying there's a land that managers go get the land. That's not the book address was about the book of Joshua was about what's really going on the book of Joshua is about a spiritual dimension to all this. You see, the real enemy of Israel are not the eggs. The ides are victims of the enemy. The real enemy of Israel as Lucifer.

That's the real enemy.

You see, and what he did. He said no, stop Israel never get to the promised land. So Lucifer filled the land with ides and all the ides. Every one of them are about as evil and pagan is a Norfolk can be an warlike and he said I'll make this a very evil haven of warlike people so Israel can get in the land is second strategy was to what also do I'll discourage Israel. You see, I'll discourage them so much that they won't even try to get in the lantern that happened 40 years earlier when they said the 10 of the 12 spies only Caleb and Joshua said let's go and the others that we can't, they're too tough for us. We can follow God and he spent four years in the wilderness that's the case for you and me and hold the place of the go with me to Ephesians chapter 6 Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12 Paul writing to the church of Ephesus, and he says something, it's very important for us. He said for our struggle isn't that a description of life.

He said our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against rulers and against powers and against world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. We think the people are struggle but are not.

It can only be victims over the real struggle with.

You see, the real struggle, spiritual path, so that's with the real struggle lifers. We have a real enemy.

You see, and he didn't do everything he can to make our life but as bad as it can possibly be listened to his rap sheet first Chronicles 21 Satan incited David Luke 22, Satan has asked to sift you Simon like wheat, John 13, the devil persuaded Judas Iscariot to turn against Jesus. Luke 13 this woman. Satan has Bound for 18 long years.

Second Corinthians 4. Four. Satan has blinded the minds of those who don't believe in. As a result, they don't see the light of the good news.

Ephesians 2 he rules this world and his spirit has power over everyone who does not obey God, Satan, insights sips, persuades, binds blinds and rules.

He has one objective. Jesus said in John 10 to steal and kill and destroy. It's what he wants to do. He wants to discourage you in every possible way you can and you'll know if he so it's working on the basis of the anxiety and worry.

You have about a situation is getting to you, such as the don't do this, don't do this. Remember don't forget this. I go before you and don't forget what I've done in the past. She don't forget that actually a great illustration that go with me now. Back to first Samuel 17 first Samuel chapter 17. Now you know the story it's up on the most famous in the Bible.

David and Goliath you learned in Sunday school is probably one of the most predictable entire passages in the Old Testament. Great story. All of us face our own giants. All of us face on the lies everybody does. What's interesting about this is Goliath has been tormenting and taunting the armies of Israel, he starts on one side and then on the other, but eventually he worked his way down to start working his way across becomes all the way to the bottom of the hill for them and are more terrified than ever now.

The logical person who should take on the life of Saul.

He's the king is the tallest. You see, he should be able to defend his people, but he's terrified as well so he has an encounter with David and David says let me know them as a teenager. Goliath is 9 foot nine.

David might not even be 5 foot nine okay he's just a kid in Salt Lake.

Why would you Howdy how do you think you could do this. He knew what David said I remember what look at verses 34 and 35 it says, but David said to Saul, your servant was tending his father's sheep when a lion or a bear came and took the lamb from the flock and I went out after him and attacked him and rescued it from his mouth and when he rose up against me. I seized him by his beard.

I struck up an actual your servant has killed both the lion and the bear and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them since he is part of the armies of the living God. He remembered Goliath is formidable but take a typical teenage boy, what are his chances with a lion or a bear in the wilderness by himself. It was a gun both knowing that I rescued the sheep eating get the sheep I went to the sheep. Often he rose up against me and then I killed him. It was as I remember, that if God delivered me from the lion and the bear what this uncircumcised Philistine going to do to me.

He remembers city you do that if you look at all the things that happen in your life do you look back and see God's hand on your life.

If God did that. You see, do you remember it you forget it completely deceases. Don't forget that whatever you do don't forget know what you know the story. They do a lot of trash talking back and forth from that point of view and then there's a rush each other. David takes her sling hits Goliath and the four head and down he goes.

David goes over and picks up Goliath's sword, which is probably much taller than he is and with a two-handed baseball swing EB heads of giant that gets everybody in Israel's camp all excited they don't attack the proceeds of Philistines going total route they start running, but I want to see now what happens at the end of the song verse 54 is is and David took the Philistines head and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his weapons in his tent what why now.

This is a this is ahead is conclusive. But this is ahead. They were similar to Gehenna Jerusalem and are to be little standard gliders had torso going to come by and see that's Goliath said, why is he going to do that.

So they remember look at that head, you need to remember that piece of military something else I'm taken his weapons.

No understand Goliath weapons are so enormous as a description. David can use the weapons he doesn't taken his tent to use.

It takes him his tent to remember. You see, when Saul was chasing them all through the wilderness with his own son Absalom goes and rebelling against the looks of his tent.

He looks at those weapons. This is God delivered the unlocking forget when you come from in the past. So that's what God is telling the nation Israel is telling them don't forget to remember what I've done for you in the past pastoral giver on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike of a smoother message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program at Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible.

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